Indigestion is a general descriptive term for discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. Usually, you have a lot of gas, belching, and bloating after eating. Your stomach may be distended, and sometimes you may even have vomiting or diarrhea. If you have frequent indigestion or if it’s causing you a lot of discomfort, you should consult a physician to make sure that you don’t have a condition that needs medical attention. It also helps to be tested for food allergies just to make sure that the symptoms aren’t caused by what you’re eating. Barring those problems, however, a few lifestyle changes can help. So can some supplements that aid digestion.
Eat Better, Eat Slowly, Add Fiber
Many people who have indigestion just don’t eat well and tend to eat on the run, says Melissa Metcalfe, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Los Angeles. She finds that their diets contain too much fat and refined food and too little fiber.
"Digestion starts with eating habits. People who eat fast or swallow a lot of air have problems with digestion. The solution is to just slow down and enjoy your food," she says. "Also, cut down on fat, eat more whole-grain foods, and include lots of fruits and vegetables." You can get more fiber by eating foods like prunes, apples, oat bran, carrots, kidney beans, and spinach.
In addition to getting that dietary fiber it’s often helpful to take a fiber supplement that contains psyllium husks or seeds, says Dr. Metcalfe. Fiber absorbs water and helps move food and waste through the gastrointestinal tract more quickly. She recommends two tablespoons a day, usually at breakfast. A typical product is Solgar Psyllium Seed Husks Fiber supplement. Each tablespoon contains about six grams of psyllium husk fiber.
| Some Hydrochloric Support Hydrochloric acid is nasty, corrosive stuff. Nevertheless, it is one of the most important secretions in the stomach. It helps in the digestion of protein and the absorption of some minerals and vitamins. Lack of this stomach acid is officially known as hypochlorhydria. It’s more likely to occur as you age, says William Warnock, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Shelburne, Vermont. Without it, you may have an upset stomach, a feeling of fullness, or a sense of discomfort or indigestion. “The ability of the stomach to secrete acid declines with age,” he says. “I believe that many older people have digestive problems because they just aren’t producing enough hydrochloric acid.” Lack of acid may be the result of gluten intolerance, an intestinal problem. A low-acid condition is also commonly seen in people with chronic autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Hypochlorhydria has also been associated with gastritis, a stomach inflammation, and with the skin disease psoriasis. Some alternative practitioners believe that you can reverse hypochlorhydria by taking supplements of betaine hydrochloride as part of an enzyme combination, which is available at most health food stores, says Dr. Warnock. Typically, these supplements contain 10 grains, or about 600 milligrams, of betaine hydrochloride. Usually, these supplements include other kinds of acids that help bind the ingredients together. Many formulas also contain pepsin, an important digestive enzyme secreted in the stomach. “The combination of hydrochloric acid and pepsin works together in the stomach. That’s why you often find them together in digestive formulas,” says Dr. Warnock. To determine whether your stomach is producing enough hydrochloric acid, your doctor can perform a gastric analysis test. The results of that test will indicate whether your stomach acidity is normal or whether you need supplementation. If you need to take supplements, start small and increase the dose gradually. For the first dose, take one 600-milligram capsule with a meal. If you feel no discomfort, you should increase the dose by one 600-milligram capsule at the next meal, suggests Dr. Warnock. If necessary, you can increase the dosage once more, for a maximum of three capsules at a meal, as long as you don’t have an adverse reaction. With smaller meals, however, you should take less, especially if the meal has little or no protein in it. “If you feel a slight burning or warmth in your stomach, back off the dosage and take a little less,” says Dr. Warnock. When you feel that warmth, continue eating so that the food buffers the acid. In Dr. Warnock’s experience, most people continue the supplementation for a few weeks or months and then gradually wean themselves off it. Initially, the stomach is stimulated by the supplements, but after a while, it may produce an adequate amount of acid on its own, he says. |
"You should also be drinking lots of water as you’re increasing your fiber intake," she says. The recommended minimum is usually eight full eight-ounce glasses daily.
A few people may experience more indigestion when they start upping their fiber intakes. "If your body isn’t used to it, fiber can be really hard on the digestive system," she says. "Just introduce it gradually."
Build Up Your Acid
As we age, our bodies produce less hydrochloric acid, which is instrumental in the digestive process. We also produce less pepsin, an enzyme secreted by the stomach that aids in the digestion of protein. Older people often have digestive problems because they aren’t producing enough acid to break down the food in their stomachs, says William Warnock, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Shelburne, Vermont.
Dr. Warnock suggests taking supplements of betaine hydrochloride with each full-size meal. Take them for three months, then stop and see how you do without them. Before you take these supplements, consult your doctor to find out whether your level of stomach acid is too low and, if it is, get a diagnosis of the underlying cause. If the condition that’s causing low acid is diagnosed and treated, he says, acid levels may increase without the help of supplements.
Several herbs known as bitters, including wormwood, turmeric, gentian, and ginger, are believed to stimulate the release of hydrochloric acid and gastric juices. "Bitters are really big in Europe for enhancing digestion," says Dr. Metcalfe.
In the United States, ginger and turmeric are the most recognized due to their kitchen use as spices. Ginger enhances digestive activity and settles the stomach, while turmeric has been shown in animal studies to stimulate the flow of bile and the breakdown of dietary fats.
Dr. Metcalfe recommends taking one or two 250-milligram capsules of ginger at mealtimes, or you can munch on a stick or two of candied ginger for a similar effect. Preserved, sugar-soaked ginger sticks are available in many health food stores, supermarkets, and Asian markets.
"It’s quite amazing how quickly ginger works," she says. "If people have been having indigestion problems due to chronic stress, I often tell them to use it."
If you decide to try turmeric, a typical dose is one 300-milligram capsule up to three times daily.
Sowing Bacteria
Another cause of indigestion may be an overgrowth of yeast, or candida. Candida is a type of naturally occurring yeast that always grows in the gastrointestinal tract as part of what’s called the gut’s flora, or micro organisms. A bout of illness or a course of antibiotics can wipe out much of the other flora, however, leaving room for candida to thrive, says Dr. Warnock. When the normal amount of yeast increases, it may contribute to malabsorption due to the inflammation it causes in the intestine, he says.
One way to get rid of the excess yeast is to sow more good bacteria in the gut. You can do that by taking a supplement containing acidophilus, the digestive system’s primary beneficial bacteria.
"Yeast is like a weed trying to invade the yard of your intestine," says Dr. Warnock. "Sometimes, you just have to plant more grass seed."
Supplement companies sell many different beneficial bacteria combinations. Look for a product that has one billion or more organisms per capsule and has been refrigerated in the store or is marked "heat-resistant," suggests Dr. Warnock. It should contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and B. longum. The suggested dosage is one capsule with meals twice daily for about a week.
Energize Your Enzymes
Digestion begins in your mouth, where enzymes in saliva begin the breakdown of starch as you chew. There are also digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins as food moves through your digestive system.
Most of the nutrients are absorbed through the lining of your small intestine. If enzymes aren’t doing all of their work, an excess of undigested food may make its way into your large intestine, making it more likely that bacteria can feed upon the food. The result may be bloating, gas, and intestinal pain, says Dr. Warnock. Some folks who are deficient in some types of digestive enzymes can benefit by taking digestive enzyme supplements. There are many products on the market, some containing up to 10 different enzymes. Dr. Warnock suggests looking for a supplement that contains amylase, lipase, and protease enzymes.
Typically, you would take a 500-milligram capsule three times a day with meals, says Dr. Warnock. Freeda, for instance, sells a product called Freeda Hi-Vegi-Lip Digestive Enzymes that contains all the enzymes. The dose is three pills a day.
Heal with Glutamine
Sometimes, indigestion is caused by inflammation along the gastrointestinal walls, perhaps from illness, a bacterial infection, or a condition such as irritable bowel syndrome. To help heal that inflammation, Dr. Metcalfe suggests taking a supplement of glutamine, an amino acid common to the body. It encourages the disposal of damaged cells and increases production of new cells along the gut wall. It’s also an antioxidant. She recommends taking one 500-milligram capsule four times a day for about a month.
